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Preparation and Characterization of Stable Aqueous Ferrofluids Using Low Molecular Weight Sulfonated Polystyrene
Author(s) -
Ledezma Raquel,
Bueno Darío,
Ziolo Ronald F.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/masy.200950935
Subject(s) - ferrofluid , polystyrene , materials science , atom transfer radical polymerization , nanocomposite , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , aqueous solution , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , dispersity , nanocrystalline material , polymerization , polymer , organic chemistry , chemistry , nanotechnology , composite material , magnetic field , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Summary : One of the most optically transparent magnetic materials known at room temperature consists of nanocrystalline γ ‐Fe 2 O 3 dispersed in a DVB cross‐linked sulfonated polystyrene (PS) matrix. When attrited dry or in water without surfactant and subsequently processed in water or water miscible liquids, the nanocomposite leads to a highly stable, low optical density ferrofluid with unique properties and uses in a variety of applications. We have heretofore identified the stabilizing agent in the ferrofluid as low molecular weight (∼6000) sulfonated PS, which results from attrition of the cross linked polystyrene nanocomposite. We report on the synthesis of low molecular weight (LMW) PS by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) followed by sulfonation with acetyl sulfate and on the one‐step synthesis of a stable ferrofluid of nanocrystalline Fe 3 O 4 using the newly synthesized LMW sulfonated PS. Physicochemical analyses and characterizations include GPC, GC‐MS, GPC, NMR, FTIR, XRD, TEM and magnetic data.